The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-08-19
"RUNNING AMUCK."
A SanguinarY Custom Pecul-
lar to Oriental Chimes.
0pium-Orazed Men Seiz9l With Sudden
Desire to Kill,

O6SuH 10 AIJr
Two instances have recently appeared
In our columns Of that strange and san
culinary custom Of the East called run
ming amuc)." Running amuck" IS q
phrase derived from the Malay word
''amok" CE1illing") and constitutes
well marked hysterica( affection of GER
tain races inhaDiting Oriental countries.
1t is rarely if ever, manifested among
the Indian MussuImans, while, whenever
it does occur in Hindoostan, the maIady
may generally be traced to the abuse OF
opium or the extract of hemp called
bhang, ganja or charras. The Hjndoo
tobacccnist sells a special confection
made up of bhang, opium, datura,
cloves, mastic, cinnamon, and carda-
NUNS, which is mixed with milk and
sug ar and eaten as a sweetmeat. This
dIabollcal cake known as ma ajum-will
drive man mad about as soon as any
thing. With the Malays, however, who
have given name to the terrible mental
alteration of which we speak, and who
are by far tie most addicted to it of all
Eastern people, there is seldom any
such explanation of the outbreak. Sud-
denly, without rhyme or reason, man
will spring up from his shop board or
couch, draw his kris-the wave bIaded
dagger which they all carry--and, with
a scream of ''Amokl Amokr' strike it's
point into the heart of the nearest way
farer and dart down the crowded bazaar
like the lunatic which he is, stabbing
and cutting on all sides. "Amokl
Amok p echoes from a hundred mouths,
and every body hurries for a place of
refuge, fleeing in ell directions except
those boIder spirits who snatch up
weapons of defense and join the armed
throng which pur5ues the desperalO
The path of the chase is soon strewu
with bodies of men, women and chill
| dren, dead or bleeding to death, until
some lucky shot or daring thrust disabes
the murderer, who is pierced with
! dozen blades as soon as he falls to the
ground. Occasionally it turns out that
| the 'amoker'' has received some per-
| sOnal affrOnt or injury or was hOpelessly
in debt or disappointed in love; but
more commonly there is nothing what
ever to account for the wild fury OF his
! proceedings, and the street sweepers
! drag his carcass away as carelessly as if
leopard had been slain in the public
! streets. So ordinary, indeed, is the oc-
currence that in many towns and cities
where there lives a large Malay pOpula-
tion an instrument is kept in readiness at
every police station called the 'amoker
catcher" 1t is something like an eel
spear with a very long handle, and so
contrived that two elastic pointed spikes
close round the madman's neck and Sc
cure him helplessly when the iron
prongs are pushed against his nape
from behind.
Malay from this sudden access of homi-
cidal mania if he has the predisposition
or has been greatly excited. There was
an instance at Salatiga, in the island of
Java, where the Regent was celebrating
! the marriage of two of his daughters,
and everybody was in a festive and joy
! Gus mood. Just, however, at the gayest
moment of the ceremonies the Regents
brother-in-law, a high official, came
rushing through the procession, stab
bing everybody he could get at with
his jeweled kris. The Regent himself,
coming up to inquire into the uproar,
was killed by a single thrust, and it
was the brother of the Prince who ran
the ''amol1cr" through the back with a
spear and brought him down, yet not
| before he had slaughtered nine of the
palace people and wounded six Others
more or less severely 1t might be supposed
that race subject to such ferocious fits
would be naturally excitable and
nervous in manner; but the contrary is
| the case. The Malay is of all men the
! most quiet, dl9nlfed, ana SLOW oIspeecn
and action in his ordinary life. He sell
dom speaks loudly or quickly, has the
most courteous and even gentle de-
meanor, and quarrels very rarely with
his fellows. Yet he is coldly and
silently cruel; has no regard for human
life, and derives from the Mohammedan
faith which he processes its bitterest and
most relentless dogmas. Once started on
the death run" by insult, despair, or
some brain trouble, his only thought is
to ''kilI, and kill, and KILL" and in the
fierce exultation of his insanity he does
not feel the blow which lets out his
burning blood and puts a stop to his
dreadful eer.-[ London TIE legraph.
An AriStOPratic Pair.